Rhodonite
Mineral (Mn,Fe,Mg,Ca)SiO3
About it
Rose-pink with black manganese oxide veins when massive; rare gem crystals from Broken Hill, Australia, and Franklin, New Jersey. Harder than rhodochrosite and doesn't fizz in acid.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Silicate (inosilicate), rhodonite group
- Formula
- (Mn,Fe,Mg,Ca)SiO3
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 5.5–6.5
- Specific gravity
- 3.57–3.76
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy), pearly
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Colours
- pink, rose red, red, brownish red
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent, opaque
- Cleavage and fracture
- perfect in two directions at nearly 90°
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.